Getting Out of Hand
by NeonSymphony
Summary: High school student Ruby needs to think up some genius plan to get himself out of a mess that could have serious repercussions. However when more and more people find out, it becomes harder to keep it from Sapphire - Franticshipping AU - Chapter 4 - Showdown of the stubborn
1. How it begins

**DISCLAIMER : ALL CHARACTERS AND STUFF BELONG TO NINTENTO (I guess) I IN NO WAY ATTEMPT TO CLAIM ANY OF IT AS MY OWN**

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><p>"It's finally finished!" Ruby exclaimed as he stood up. He looked down at his creation, which he pulled an all-nighter to finish. He began examining it intensely, looking for any final touches that were necessary. He couldn't suppress his smug smile that had formed once he'd finally decided that this masterpiece was truly finished.<p>

"I must admit, this is one my best pieces so far..." he ran his hands back though his raven black hair, before picking up the dress. He carefully put it on his bed. It was a marvellous creation, even if it was a prototype. It was a luscious shade of red, and it was extremely graceful, or so he hoped. A scowl formed at his lips. He hadn't actually seen it on a model yet. It was a dress, so Ruby himself was obviously out of the question, besides, he wasn't that desperate. He sighed,

"Well, I guess, it's time to call for a favour from my favourite model. No doubt she'll take some convincing, as per usual..."

He pulled out his cell, and went though his contacts until he found Sapphire Birch. She was his closest friend and, despite the fact she hated dresses and usually refused to wear them, Ruby always made his prototypes assuming she'd be the model for them. He was about to ring her, when something hit him. Something he'd forgotten up till now. His eyes widened and his facial feature showed immense fear. He closed his cell, and threw it on his bed. There was no way he could call her! Not after...that...

He didn't dare look. If it was anywhere, it would be on his desk, behind him. He hoped it wasn't there. That what he had done, was simply a sick fantasy he came up with when he was bored one day. He slowly turned, and too his horror, the item in question was there, sprawled on his desk, like some sort of demonic creature.

"Oh, god, what am I going to do!" He panicked, while he picked up the item with two fingers, keeping at arms distance, as if it had some infectious disease or some mark that it could leave on him.

"If Saph finds out, she'll murder me! She'll burn me alive and then probably eat me!"

Of course this was an exaggeration, but he had found out many times that her fury was extremely scary, and something he would prefer to avoid.

"I can't believe I stole her bra!"

He had. He committed the act about a week ago when he was invited to dinner. He was desperate for measurements for this dress, but he was, for a first time, a little embarrassed to get them. That damn sapphire had bloody exploded in the chest area, and it was all too awkward at the time for both of them, so he couldn't just ask her. Also there was no way in hell, he was just going to go up to professor birch and say 'hey, do you know your daughters measurements, specifically chest and waist!' So Ruby was out of options, and when he thought of this, it felt like the only choice.

He calmed himself by massaging his forehead. He was going to have to think of something genius to get this damn bra back to his sapphire's room, without her realising. She never left him go into her room without some form of supervision. He was lucky that he wasn't pressed for time; after all, he was pretty sure that Sapphire wouldn't notice that the bra had gone missing for a while, she did have a tendency to overlook details, and one bra to her mustn't be very important. Even so, Ruby was definitely sure that the quicker he resolved this the better, who know where this might lead to if he doesn't get this back.

"No one else can find out, or else it'll get even more complicated. "

It was at this very moment that Green walked into his room. From here on out, it all got out of control.

Thus begins this story.

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><p><strong>There we go. Pretty damn short isn't it?<strong>

**Yeah well, it could be an intro to a long story, or it could just be left as it is. I think it stands pretty well on its own, but whatever, what did you guys think? please leave a review to let me know, and lets not have pure flaming.**

**Thats just me - Slyrival**


	2. Can't catch a break

**DISCLAIMER : ALL CHARACTERS AND STUFF BELONG TO NINTENTO (I guess) I IN NO WAY ATTEMPT TO CLAIM ANY OF IT AS MY OWN**

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><p>Green and ruby were frozen in their respective positions, Green halfway through the door, and ruby holding Sapphires Bra as if it were some kind of mouldy mushroom.<p>

"...err...Green..." Ruby had no idea what to say. It was all too awkward, but something had to be said. The situation could easily be misread into something a lot worse than it actually was.

_What do I say? What do I say? What do I say!_

These words were going around Ruby's head so fast that they were starting to sound like one incomprehensible sound. All previous feelings of fear and pride were cast aside at this new development. The silence was making this situation even worse.

_Green is the last person you'd expect to break a silence in normal circumstances, but this..._

This silence continued. Ruby was desperate to make sure that this didn't snowball. Green wasn't usually a blabbermouth, but Ruby couldn't take any chances with a matter this delicate.

_Come on, Say something, just don't let him..._

At that point, Ruby watched as Green turned and left the room.

"No, wait!" He went to follow him, but tripped over his shoes which reminded him that he was still in his pyjamas, and had to get changed for school.

"Aww, Arceus, I'm late. And this was supposed to be a good day." He grumbled as he got up and rushed around, making sure he left the place clean as he got dressed.

A few minutes later he left his room, straightening his tie and then his hat. He hadn't worn his school uniform for ages, and it felt unusual. The tie was actually optional, and Ruby was the only one of his friends who opted to wear it, as he believed it was slick and smooth. No one ever said anything, but all of his friends knew that if someone knew what looked good then it was Ruby. In fact he would often go out with his friends and help them go shopping, of course, in this case his 'friends' were the likes of Blue, Crys, and Yellow. It was expected that the lads wouldn't want to go shopping, Ruby could understand that. He had also come to understand that his best friend, despite being a girl, also detested shopping. As for the hat, well, hats weren't usually allowed to be worn inside the school buildings; however, Ruby had been able to get away with it, thanks to the fact that his dad, one of the teachers, was able to convince his bosses. His dad knew how much it meant to him to wear a hat. He was desperate for others not to see what it concealed.

Anyway, he had more important things to worry about. He rushed downstairs expecting Green to be outside with the others, but in fact he was in...The kitchen?

There he was. Relaxed and calm, just drinking what seemed to be a cup of herbal tea.

_Well he's made himself at home didn't he?_

Green noticed Ruby and, after taking another sip, took the time to say,

"Good Morning Ruby. You're going to make us late."

_You don't look too fussed!_

"Er...Green, can I speak with you for a moment?"

"Ruby!"

Ruby turned, to see his mother looking rather annoyed. This can't be good. She'd interrupted at the worst possible moment too.

_Can't something just go my way? Just once, is that too much to ask?_

"What's wrong mother?"

"You know what's wrong? Your friends have all arrived, ready to go to school, and hear you are strolling down the stairs, despite being late! Get a move on! Your father has already left for school, so you can't get a lift from him."

"Fine fine. We're just leaving, aren't we Green?"

Green, who was previously sat down at the table, pushed his half finished herbal tea forward and stood up, he picked up his school bag and began walking out.

"Let's go. Thank you for the Tea."

Ruby's mom smiled,

"It was nothing, just make sure none of you are late. I'm sure your grandfather wouldn't be happy about it."

"Good bye Mom. I might stay over at a friend's house for a while after school. But I'll be home before dinner."

In reality, Ruby was not happy about being forced out of the house. He would have liked to have talked to Green about what he saw in Ruby's bedroom. However, he knew that he couldn't talk to him on the way to school because of -

"Well you two took your time! Where have you been?" Blue commented, arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

"Oh, are they out? Finally, I was falling asleep here." Gold joked. He was sat on Ruby's garden wall, his uniform as untidy as ever.

"So what was it this time? Did it take you forever to sort out your hair this morning, eh Ruby?" Gold remarked, never missing an opportunity to get one over on Ruby.

"Not particularly. You see, when you constantly take care of your appearance it never really needs too much time. However I'm sure you cannot comprehend that, since you never look after yourself, do you Gold?"

The lightning bolts of the rivalry had already struck on this fine weather morning. Ruby and Gold's relationship was certainly different to the rest of Ruby's core group of friends. They wouldn't openly call each other friends, and the usual way they talk to each other suggested the opposite, but deep down they were good buddies. They just had an odd way of showing it.

Amongst all this, Green had already set off to school, leaving the rest behind.

"Are you guys coming or not?"

They quickly followed, running to catch up to their aloof friend. They continued to chat and laugh as they carried on to school in a rather hurried fashion (Green kept silent for the most part, speaking only when addressed to directly, usually with brisk agreement to whatever was said) Ruby's mind however, was too worried to completely join in with the merriment, and the others were beginning to notice.

"Oi Ruby!" Gold commented, nudging Ruby in the side to grab his full attention. "You looked troubled! What's up? You and Sapphire had another fight? Seriously I'd be amazed if you had. It must be a record for you, so early in the morning and already at each other's throats."

Indeed arguments between the pair were common. The rest of the group pinned it as a lovers' quarrel, however if they actually said that out loud near either Ruby or Sapphire they would get an earful.

"No Gold, I haven't spoken to Sapphire this morning, as you may have guessed, I've been pressed for time."

On that note, the rest of the hurried walk to school was in silence, much to the comfort of Green, and much to the displeasure of Blue, who hated awkward silences. Constantly trying to start up a conversation, which Gold would continue for a couple of minutes until it ran out of steam.

_As long as Blue doesn't find out, everything should be able to be kept under wraps. She's the prime gossip in the school and anything she knows, the rest of the school knows by the end of the day. It's best if I can just explain it all to Green. It shouldn't be hard to keep him mouth shut. Then I just have to return that thing to Sapphire..._

He had it on him...as in, it was in is bag. It was buried underneath all his books. The current plan was to invite himself over to Sapphires and then at the opportune moment, shove it in the draw he got it from, and then it would all be over.

Time passed quickly, and Ruby concluded that this was a result of his mind being obsessed with a certain topic. Whatever the cause, before he knew it, he was sat down at his desk in his homeroom.

Today was the start of his second year. He and Gold were once again in the same homeroom, and so was silver who had already sat down at the front of the class. There was no sign of Crys, Sapphire or Wally, however their absence was explainable, even if they ended up in a different homerooms. Ruby had only recently spoken to Wally, and the green haired boy was fairly sure that his health was going make him miss the first day back. Meanwhile the girls had both been pulled out of the morning class by teachers as they were both receiving important roles in their extra circular activities this year.

Despite appearing indifferent, Ruby internally sighed with relief and his heart warmed when he heard Sapphire's name on the register. After regaining his internal Posture, he smirked when he thought that Gold probably went through the same emotion as Ruby just did when heard Crys' name on their register was well. At this point, Ruby had gotten all the information he wanted, so his mind began to wonder.

Their little social group was strife with unresolved romance. Ruby liked to act oblivious to it all, but in truth he could clearly see what was going on around him. The annoying thing about it all was the most of it wasn't unrequited love, rather both parties refusing to admit and embrace it, while also refusing to let it die. It often resulted in a lot of drama. He was also aware that probably one of the biggest and most frequent dramas in their group and partially made up by him.

Frustratingly, he wasn't quite sure about his own feelings for Sapphire at this point. He was adamant that if he was certain, then he would resolve this, but because he hadn't it could only mean he was confused about how he felt for her. He was aware, that he couldn't stand to see her with another guy, and he often thought about what it would be like to date her, but then his mind would wander to all the arguments they would have, sometimes about completely stupid things. He wondered what that would mean. Does it mean that mean they wouldn't work out? Ruby wasn't psychic, nor was he a relationship guru. He pushed it all the back of his mind. This wasn't what he needed to focus upon right now. He had other matters that require more attention.

"I can't really do anything until Lunch. I just have to prey to Arceus that Green doesn't talk."

"Green doesn't talk about what hmmmmm? Keeping something secret Ruby?" Gold's smirk went up another level of evilness, as Ruby was turned to stone. He didn't realise Gold had sneaked on up behind him. Gold had now caught a whiff of something juicy, and like a Houndoom, he was going to chase it relentlessly until he could get his fangs into it.

"It's rude to eavesdrop on people's conversations Gold. Do you have no manners?" It was the best Ruby could come up with in his shocked state. Gold was bright, but hot headed, all he needed to do was get him into another one of their verbal sparring rounds and he'll probably end up forgetting this. Ruby turned his chair around ninety degrees so Gold wasn't facing his back

"Oh no you don't! I wanna know what it is exactly that you and green are hiding."

_Crap, he didn't take it._

"Well" Ruby started and paused, to gather an idea, "It's nothing that concerns you."

_That won't work_.

"Awwww, c'mon Ruby. We're buddies right?"

"Hardly"

"Ouch..." Gold commented sarcastically. "Well, we practically hang out together all the time, us and the gang. There are no secrets amongst us. "

"Another lie. There are so many lies and so much romantic tension amongst our little circle of friends that even a slowpoke would know what's going on. "

Gold facial expression clearly showed his displeasure at Ruby's manner.

"Look who's talking. You're one half of the biggest source of romantic tension."

"What was that?" Ruby growled, not happy with that remark.

"You know, I bet this little secret has something to do with Sapphire..."

Ruby kept silent.

"HA! Bulls eye! So what have you and Sapphire done this time?"

"Nothing..."

"Of course, of course, it's something you and Green have done, that somehow involves sapphire...wait...no way..." Gold grinned at his thought, "You and Green eh...I could have guessed you, but I didn't know green went tha-"

Gold was interrupted by Ruby, who had quite nonchalantly shoved his open Maths boot into Gold's face.

"Keep your dirty fantasies to yourself." Ruby commented, making gold chuckle lightly as he pushed the book down.

"You know I was joking alright? No hard feelings. But don't think we're done here, break's almost over, but I'll get it out of you before the end of the day. Later ruby."

He got up from the seat he'd borrowed and walked to his own a couple in front of Ruby's. On his way past he ruffled Ruby's hat, something Gold knew ticked him off. He quickly adjusted it back into place.

The apology Gold gave to Ruby may have seemed a little out of character or strange to someone who didn't know them. Gold doesn't usually apologise, especially to Ruby, however Ruby had always been a little unfortunate in school due to bulling. It wasn't the open pushed into lockers and such, no it was the spreading of rumours that people used as their weapon of choice to bully ruby. The rumours were always about one thing. A boy could go around school obsessed with fashion and clothes without some people jumping to conclusions, not in this place anyway. It was particularly bad last year when he was a freshman. Ruby had really taken it to heart, and he still does. He knew Gold meant no harm, his apology was blatant proof but some people, were maliciously spreading things about him to get their kicks out of it. Ruby was an easy target.

The next period went out without much thinking upon Ruby's behalf. He'd calm down from this morning, which surprised him, because now his had Gold on his tail. However as long as he stayed there and didn't actually find out, he shouldn't be much of a problem.

_Things won't get out of hand as long as I limit the amount of people who get involved. Gold knows nothing of any significance to warrant any further action. I must explain the situation to green and then find a way of getting this damn bra back to Sapphire's closet without her seeing. Which, considering the fact that Sapphire doesn't let me in her room alone since that misunderstanding last summer, is going to be quite difficult. Man, this situation is bad enough as it is._

Eventually the bell rang for lunch, and Ruby stood up and walked out the door. He spared Gold a glance, he was still at his seat talking to some girls around him. He must have lost interest in what Ruby was up to, which was the best thing Ruby could have asked for. He walked down the corridor, on his way to find Green to sort this mess out.

Or so he thought.

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><p><strong>Well chapter 2 is finally finished. It seems Ruby can't catch a break.<strong>

**Sorry for the wait, the first chapter was a stand-alone piece I created early 2011, so I needed some time to get everything clear and find a true sense of direction for the story. I'm pleased with what I've managed to find. Anyway thank you to those who gave me the support of the first chapter.**

**Into my second chapter and still no Sapphire? And this is supposed to be a Franticshipping story. However the wild girl should be making an appearance soon, so should a whole host of characters. I just hope It doesn't get to crowded and start to overshadow the main pair.**

**Alright, if you have the time, please review to let me know what you think. Could be better? Have I lost something? Plot Ideas? Anything, let's just keep those flames out shall we?**

**~ SlyRival**


	3. Sapphire

**DISCLAIMER : ALL CHARACTERS AND STUFF BELONG TO NINTENTO (I guess) I IN NO WAY ATTEMPT TO CLAIM ANY OF IT AS MY OWN**

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><p>Ruby strode through the corridors, bag kept firmly at his side and each step displaying the purpose and determination that filled his body. As he continued to walk he thought about what he was going to say. He didn't think he would have to worry about Green jumping to conclusions or throwing him off his pre-planned speech, simple because Green wasn't going to interrupt him, it wasn't his style. Now if it was blue, then he would have had to have a completely different game plan. Thank Arceus Blue didn't know.<p>

"I suppose I'll have to be completely honest with him. I'm sure I can trust him to keep a secret. I just hope he doesn't laugh."

_Green laughing...I wonder what that looks like..._

Ruby continued in silence down the hallways and around the corners. There were some students chatting. A lot familiar faces, others freshman who had their first day today. Ruby remembered his first day. He didn't suffer some of the nerves other freshmen did, because his dad taught there, and his closest friend had been with him all day. He knew somewhere in the school, one of the new guys must be scared, and his heart would have gone out to said student, however, he had more important personal things to be dealing with. After the brief nostalgia he pledged to himself that he would completely focus upon this. However his concentration was broken by a familiar voice calling out to him.

"Hey Ruby! Where're ya heading off to? "

The boy turned to see Sapphire's grinning face at the end of the corridor. Her hands on her hip as she said

"You were so deep in thought that you walked straight past me."

Ruby was subconsciously clutching his bag; the catalyst of his destruction was now about 10 feet away from the chemical pot that was Sapphire Birch. If he happened to mix the two then he was sure it would blow up in his face.

"Hey Saph, Sorry about that. I have something on my mind."

Sapphire walked over to him, looking a little concerned. While in normal circumstances he'd usually enjoy talking with Sapphire, right now, he desperately wanted to keep his distance. He stepped back, causing her to stop.

"Ruby...Is something wrong?" Her concern was touching, and in fact it made Ruby slightly regret his actions. However he had to take out every stop to make sure Sapphire didn't see her bra in his school bag.

"Er...actually...I wanted to speak with you...in private!" Ruby's words rolled off his tongue as they came to his head. He needed to lie to make her less worried.

"In...Private?"

"Yeah, it's not something I could just say here...or anywhere in school either. I want to talk to you at your house, today. After school. It's important."

_Awesome, now if she lets me come over, that would be the perfect chance to put this bra back and finally end this mess._

Ruby watched her. She was definitely confused; she was pouting and scratching her forehead. The boy could only guess that she was trying to figure out what he wanted to say. She through it through, giving Ruby a glance every now and again. He tried to look serious and sincere. It stayed like this, until her face began to turn red. She had come to some realisation, although he was pretty confident that she was incorrect. She turned to her side, looking down at her fingers which she was now messing with. Ruby thought he could see a small smile on the girls face.

"S-sure...a-after school. I'll wait for you outside the gates. You promise not to back out?"

A weird question, but Ruby answered none the less. Sapphire then waved goodbye, grinning all the while. Seeing her run down the hallway, with blatant disregard for the rules, made Ruby smile to himself. Maybe thing were finally starting to go his way. He felt more confident about confronting Green, now that he had got himself invited over to Sapphires.

He continued his search. He was the most optimistic he'd been all day. Once green was convinced, he could just prepare for his mission at Sapphire's. He strolled down the corridor, not worried about the time. He still had another fifty minutes left.

Ruby made his way over, and as expected, Green was sat in his class conversing with Red, Yellow and of course blue. It seemed like blue was doing all the talking. He straightened himself, and made his way towards them all. His entrance into the classroom didn't go unnoticed, they looked over, all apart from Green, who was too interested in his lunch.

"Ruby!" Exclaimed Blue, making Green look over to the boy. Ruby noticed a small smile forming on the upperclassmen's lips just before Blue tackled him into a hug,

"It's nice of you to take out some time to come and see little old me." The trademark mischief in her voice was little comfort.

"Actually guys...I need to speak to Green...alone."

As the others looked slightly confused, Green stood up,

"I assumed you would eventually come to see me. Shall we step outside?"

Ruby forced a smiled as he followed Green out the classroom; he closed the door behind himself, leaving his friends confused and curious.

"So," Green began, "what reason do you have for calling me out?"

_...Yeah, you forgot to smile or sound sarcastic there, Green._

Ruby looked at his senior. His hands in his pockets, his whole demeanour was cool and collected, as if nothing would faze him. This natural coolness that Green gave off made him quite popular with the girls, and made most lads envious. Needless to say, at this point it just made Ruby annoyed.

"Let's not play dumb, Green. I'm merely here to explain what you saw this morning in my room. You must have been shocked"

"I was curious. Not shocked."

"You seemed shocked; you turned your heels and headed straight out of my room."

"That was because your mother called me to say my tea was ready, nothing more."

That answer really irked Ruby; it was as if Green saw noting out of the ordinary with him having a bra in his room.

"It's not mine... It's...Sapphire's."

"hmmm."

_What sort of reaction is that?_

"You see, Green, I had the Bra because...because...I needed her measurements for a dress I was making, and well I knew my old measurements must have been outdated."

"Why not simply ask her?" Green made it sound way too simple.

"Not so easy now that she's suddenly decided to detonate some sort of chest bomb. Apparently, according to Blue she's quite self conscious at heart. However I've never really seen any evi-"

Green quelled the boy by raising his hand.

"I still believe your actions to be a little...extreme."

"I know. I don't know what came over me."

"I now understand your reasoning, and you've explained your situation, is there anything else?"

"Of course! I explained all that so you wouldn't have any reason to tell anyone about what you saw."

"You could have simply asked me not to divulge the information."

"What...and you would have simply kept your mouth shut?"

"Yes."

"Unacceptable. This way you know the truth, and you're not making your own presumptions about what you saw."

Green shrugged his shoulders, apparently not willing to argue about it but then, Green rarely argued with anyone but Red.

"What do you plan to do with the Bra?"

"Shhh! You don't know who could be listening."

"I can see this has affected you badly." Despite saying this, Green sounded liked he always did; as if he didn't care. Ruby thought best to ignore it, and just answer his first question.

"I'm going over to Sapphire's house tonight. I'll be able to sort this all out. All I need is an opportunity to be alone in her bedroom, so I can shove it back in whatever drawer I got it from."

"I wonder...will Sapphire trust you in her room alone."

"What?" Of course she wo-"

"Considering what you did in her room last summer."

The conversation, that for Green was quite fast and fluid, came to an abrupt end. What happened that dreadful summer day was best forgotten; at least that was Ruby and Sapphire's perspective. Some of the other people present then, mostly Gold and Blue, thought it was hilarious to mention it every now and again.

"I'm sure she's put that behind, her."

"Well, I wish you luck in your endeavours, I shall now return to my lunch." Silence overcame them as Green left. There was nothing more really to say, and upon coming to that conclusion, Ruby departed for his own class. Upon his way back, he met another familiar face who had yet to show up today.

"Oh, good day, Crys." Ruby said, with an apparent lack of enthusiasm, as Crys ran up to him, intent on walking back to their class together.

"You seemed tired Ruby, didn't you get any sleep last night?"

"Enough." He'd slept only four hours, and it was starting to kick in.

"Hmmmmm, well maybe you should get a few more hours as well. Anyway, how's your first day as a second year been?"

Ruby wanted to give a witty answer, but his apparent wit had deserted him, so he went for the truth.

"Stressful."

"Hey, have you seen Sapphire today."

"I had a fleeting conversation with her in the corridor, not to dissimilar to our conve-"

"You did, did you?" That interruption seemed a little unnecessary, which irked Ruby. His friends did seem to cut him off often.

"Why do you ask?"

The question got Crystal smiling,

"Well, I saw her just before she entered class and she seemed pretty upbeat. Apparently you're going over to her house after school to tell her something important.

_Darn, what do I tell her?_

"That's...right." She laughed, giving Ruby little comfort.

"Well, I look forward to seeing the results of your talk." With that, the conversation seemingly ended. They reached the class room in silence, but before either of them enter, Crystal perked up again.

"Oh! Ruby, do you have that book I lent you? You said you'd give it back to me today."

Turning to her he unzipped his bag and rummaged through,

"Yeah, I've got it right...here!"

Upon pulling out the book, an immediate feeling of regret overcame Ruby. He'd got the right book out, but funnily enough, whether it be fate or simple bad luck, the current bane of his life slithered out with it. The bra strap had somehow got into the pages of the book, so there it was dangling in-between Crystal and Ruby, clinging onto the book.

_You have got to be kidding me!_

_**Chapter 3 is up, and it was nice to finally nice to see Sapphire. My keyboard on my computer is giving me a whole load of grief, and its starting to really annoy me.**_

_**If you have the time, please review to let me know what you think. My thanks to those who've taken the time to review already.**_

_**~ SlyRival **_


	4. Showdown of the stubborn

**DISCLAIMER : ALL CHARACTERS AND STUFF BELONG TO NINTENTO (I guess) I IN NO WAY ATTEMPT TO CLAIM ANY OF IT AS MY OWN**

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><p>"Damn it..."<p>

"What the hell!"

"Alright, don't raise your voice!"

"Well why do you have a br-"

In the class, everyone was getting back into their seats, including Gold. On his way back he overheard these voices from the other side of the door. Instantly recognising the voices of his friends Ruby and Crystal, who sounded like they were bickering, Gold went to greet them and see what they were talking about. He opened the door.

"Hey guys what's going-"Gold paused as his eyes widened, utterly confused at what was before him.

"Huh? Where'd they go?"

Gold was sure he'd heard them bickering over something, it could just be his imagination. He just stood there for a while, looking puzzled. At the same time, Silver came strolling past, making no indication that he even acknowledged Gold's existence, that was until he spoke,

"You should remove that dumbfounded look from your face. It makes you look even more stupid than you already are."

Or course this lit the fire underneath Gold's short fuse. Gold was very easily provoked, and Silver, a boy with an inherent lack of sensitivity, was usually the perpetrator. Despite being guilty of setting Gold off, Silver had, as per usual, no intention of apologising. Silver also didn't take kindly to insults, and that's why they can often be seen arguing. Despite all this, they do often hang out. It was all very confusing to everyone else.

"Hey shut it Silver. Where have you been anyway, you can't just come strolling in here after lunch like some sort of...some sort of...err..."

Silver, who had stopped walking and turned to face Gold as soon as he started talking, decided now would be a good time to reply,

"Typical, you can't even think of a half decent comeback. Stop wasting my time."

"You son of a-"

The teacher's arrival killed off the argument before it had a chance to get into full swing. The class was quickly brought into line by the mere presence of Professor Elm, who didn't usually have that effect on people. His demeanour didn't really ooze with self-confidence, but he did have a tendency to dish out harsh punishments when ignored for too long. Elm paused, getting himself together. He glanced over the class,

"Where's Ruby and Crystal."

The class was silent.

They were in fact walking the opposite way from their classroom, after narrowly avoiding a run in with their teacher. Ruby's concern for being late disappeared when this new problem materialised.

_Why is it so hard to keep this bra a secret?_

He wasn't going to talk about this until he'd found a spot where they wouldn't be disturbed. He was adamant that Crystal would be the last person who'd find out about this. He couldn't afford the risk of someone else knowing and then spilling it out to Saph. He kept walking until he came across an empty classroom. Usually he wouldn't enter without permission but today would be an exception. With the door already slightly open, indicating that it was unlocked, Ruby ferried Crystal into the room, before letting go of her shoulders to turn around and close the door. He turned back, only to be met with a furious glare, probably brought on more so by the manner in which she was brought here rather than the whole Bra thing.

So Ruby faced his next challenge. Unlike Green, Ruby knew that Crystal would be after some answers. Being intellectually outmatched by Crystal (although that by no means meant that he was unintelligent) Ruby knew that tricking her would be no easy feat. Resorting to the truth was seemingly the only option if he wanted to leave without a positive outcome. He avoided eye contact as she stood forward.

"So, are you going to explain yourself? What in Arceus's name are you doing with a bra in your bag, and why did you think it'd be ok to just drag me off."

"First, you have to promise not to be mad at me. Also I don't want you to think I'm a bad person for what I'm about to tell you."

With her arms crossed and her left foot tapping, Ruby came to know what true fear actually was. No wonder Gold kept calling her the devil incarnate, as installing fear into Ruby was seemingly child's play. He wondered if this was a power all girls had over boys, because Sapphire could be really scary when she wanted to as well.

"The bra belongs to Saph. I stole it from her bedroom."

The silence was followed was unbearable, but in hindsight, it was better than what was about to come.

"YOU DID WHAT!"

"Let me explain." Ruby pleaded as the enraged crystal stormed towards him. Her face was right in front of his which just amplified the fear. Ruby could see every detail of her face, although it seemed like she wasn't intending to be merciful.

"I think you've made it pretty clear, PERVERT!"

"What? No I-"

"PERVERT!"

"Crystal, I didn't-"

"You know what Ruby, I expected better from you! We always thought of you as the nice guy of the group. But this... this is-"

"CRYSTAL!" The conversation came to a sudden stop. Crystal took a step back, the pair just staring at one another. She was breathing rather heavily, and she was seemingly calming down. Such outbursts were rather out of character for someone as mature as Crystal. Ruby was determined to make sure he didn't come out of the looking like a total perv, which is why he decided to restart the conversation.

"My motives were not so perverted, so if you just let me explain my problem."

"Problem?" She seemed sceptical, which wasn't surprising. She sat herself on one of the desks, her legs swaying slightly. Her curiosity had obviously replaced some of her anger. However one wrong move would return her to her former state, girls he knew tended to be very temperamental.

"Yes, problem. To cut a long story short, I have acquired-"

"By acquired you mean stole." Ruby really wanted to avoid using that word. The first time was probably the biggest mistake of his conversation, so far anyway.

"As I was saying I acquired Sapphire's Bra for a rough estimate of her...size."

The statement was clear enough to make Cyrstal blush ever so slightly, although she quickly played it off.

"If you're trying to make yourself sound like a total perv, then you're doing an excellent job."

"Y-you don't understand. It was for a dress. I made Sapphire a new dress, and I needed some sort of measurement to work with for the prototype."

He sounded sincere, so Crystal couldn't help but be a little warmed by this story. Ruby often designed and created clothes, but he'd never made a dress. She wasn't going to start forgiving him so soon. His actions still sounded unacceptable to her.

"Regardless of your motives, what you did was still despicable. However, if what you are saying is the truth, then I apologize for calling you a pervert."

"Thank you." The boy's relief was evident in his voice. "I'm trying by best to rectify the situation."

"You better hope Saph never finds out or else you'll never be able to fix this."

Ruby was about to agree with the girl, until he actually processed what she said, and more importantly how she said it. Her voice was grave and bleak as she spoke. She spoke as Ruby would imagine a person facing a life or death situation would speak.

"What do you mean?" Ruby feared to ask this question, hence the small smile to mask his true emotions. Crystal avoided looking at him, except for a brief glance. In that flicker of eye contact, Ruby felt as if he witnessed a flood of emotion. A chill ran through him that originated from Crystal. She seemed deadly serious and there were little flickers of fear and sadness in that brief look. Or at least, that's what Ruby saw.

"Trust takes years to build, but only moments to destroy." She mumbled.

"What?"

"Trust, Ruby." Crystal's voice was no longer fuelled by anger or disgust; rather, it lacked any emotion to carry itself. That lifeless quality to her voice made the words hang around Ruby's head, that is, after they passed through his very being.

"You did more than steal a bra. You broke the fundamental layer of trust that your friendship is based on."

"Hang on a sec, don't you think you're being a little too extreme about this?"

"Am I? Ruby, you went into her room, and took something from her without her knowledge. How could she trust you after this? No matter how much she wants to, it will be impossible to trust you fully. There will be a voice inside of her head reminding her that you were willing to steal form her for your own needs. The implications of this are more serious than I think you've given them credit for."

For Ruby, time stood still as Crystal spoke. His eyes were fixated on the empty space in front of him. He moved himself and sat on the desk next to Crystal. Could she be right? Was it all really this bad? After all, it's just a bra, and he'd always had the intention of returning it. Yet he couldn't shake off what Crystal had just said

_Would Sapphire really be that mad at me?_

The last thing Ruby wanted was a permanent scar upon his relationship with Sapphire. He'd yet to figure out just what his relationship with Sapphire really was and this threatened to damage it.

"You can't tell Sapphire about this. This stays between us."

He didn't look back at her and he didn't need to. He knew Crystal would be looking at him, and he really didn't want to see her reaction.

"Do you really think covering up this lie is the best option? Right now you should be thinking of the best way of telling Sapphire the truth. The longer you keep it from her, the worse it will be when she finds out."

"But if she were never to find out then-"

"Ruby that's terrible! You want to keep deceiving her? Have you not been listening to me?"

"I have, but-"

"No buts Ruby. She will find out eventually, I can promise you that she will find out. The only thing you can control is when she hears about this, and who tells her."

As she continued to talk, Ruby couldn't help but feel overcome with some new found irritation for this current situation. To Ruby, it was sounding like Crystal had no intention of even trying to help him out, but instead she was just lecturing him, scaring him into feeling really guilty about what he had done. He didn't need this. What he needed was to focus on the future, but all Crystal cared about at that moment was the past. He got up off the desk. He continued to ignore her glares that he could feel on his back as he made his way to the door.

"We're already really late for class, we need to head back. If you have anything else you want to say on this matter, say it now, because after this, I don't want this topic to ever come back into our conversation." His tone was lacking any emotion or energy, which made him sound harsh. He heard her get up as well; he heard a slight sigh before she began.

"Ruby, you're a nice guy, and to some extent I can understand why you would want to cover this up from Sapphire and everyone else. However this is entirely your fault, therefore you are to blame for any repercussions from this. If Sapphire gets hurt then you may just destroy more than one friendship. I want you to promise me you'll tell Sapphire about this. If you own up to this now, then you'll get the best outcome from all this, trust me Ruby, you will only make things worse if you don't confess. So can you promise me that?"

Ruby paused. He had never been good at comprehending the gravity of the situation like this, especially when it was a situation involving girls, but even so, he recognised that his reply could be vital to his relationship with Crystal in the future.

"I…I can't…I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm going to do about this yet. I need to think it over before I do anything. If I believe it's the best decision then I will take your advice."

He went for the door handle as she walked up beside him. Before he could step out she placed her hand on his shoulder, and almost as if it was involuntary, he looked at her. He expected to see anger, so he was surprised to see, what he could only imagine was disappointment in her eyes.

"I hope for her sake that you make the best decision."

With that she stepped out, ending the conversation. They walked back in silence to class for which they were already twenty minutes late. The only words spoken were from Crystal telling Ruby to let her handle the excuse, which he relented to, seeing as he'd not thought about what he was going to say to the teacher. Rather, his thoughts were fixated on the conversation he'd just had and what he was going to do. He still couldn't make up his mind on what Crystal said. He didn't think that this could destroy his friendship with Sapphire like Crystal was implying, but then Sapphire was definitely an emotional girl and therefore unpredictable. Sat back at his desk, Ruby tried to make up his mind on what to do. After all, he was going to her house after school, and that was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 is up! This chapter has the privilege of being the first chapter uploaded from my new laptop.<strong>

**I can't say I like writing dialogue for female characters, I feel that it is one of my weaker points that I need to work on.**

**Please leave a review if you liked it, and if you thought it could have been better then tell me how. Feel free to leave constructive criticism via review and if you have any questions then hit me a PM.**

**~SlyRival**


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